Mechanical Design Engineer

TECHNE; Town of Florida (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

relocation support

Job summary

TECHNE is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to own spacecraft structures, thermal systems, and mechanical components across the platform. This hands-on role turns designs into flight-ready hardware and works across structures, payloads, and mechanisms through the full lifecycle.

You will contribute to design, analysis, prototyping, testing, and flight integration within a small multidisciplinary team, collaborating with suppliers and cross-functional engineers in Florida.

Qualifications

• Experience designing, analysing, and building mechanical structures within aerospace environments.
• Strong understanding of mechanical design principles.
• Experience using 3D CAD software.
• Experience taking hardware from design through manufacturing and flight testing.

Responsibilities

• Design mechanical systems and components including spacecraft structures and thermal control systems.
• Produce detailed specifications, drawings, CAD models and design documentation.
• Develop and test prototypes to verify performance, reliability, and environmental suitability.
• Own designs through analysis, prototyping, manufacturing, assembly, and flight integration.
• Work with suppliers to procure parts meeting specifications and quality requirements.
• Integrate mechanical systems with electrical, optical, software, and systems teams.

Skills

Spacecraft design

3D CAD

Hands-on hardware

Thermal systems

Job description

TECHNE is supporting a next-generation space technology company developing advanced spacecraft and orbital infrastructure designed to support the future of in-space power delivery.

The business is preparing for a major orbital demonstration and is now strengthening the mechanical engineering capability responsible for taking spacecraft hardware from concept through analysis, prototyping, testing, manufacturing, and flight integration.

They are now looking for a Mechanical Engineer to take ownership of the structures, thermal systems, and mechanical components across the spacecraft platform. This is a hands-on role with direct responsibility for turning designs into flight-ready hardware.

Role Purpose:

The Mechanical Engineer will own the design, analysis, development, and build of mechanical systems across the spacecraft and wider platform architecture.

You will work across spacecraft structures, payload structures, thermal control systems, mechanisms, and supporting hardware, taking designs from specification through detailed analysis, prototype, test, and final flight build.

The role sits within a small multidisciplinary engineering team, giving you direct exposure to mechanical, electrical, optical, software, and systems engineering throughout the complete spacecraft development lifecycle.

Role:

Position Type:

Full-Time, Permanent

Location:

Florida

Work Policy:

Onsite

Compensation:

Competitive Salary + Benefits

Job Responsibilities:

• Design mechanical systems and components including spacecraft structures, payload structures, thermal control systems, and structural frameworks.
• Produce detailed specifications, engineering drawings, CAD models, and supporting design documentation.
• Develop and test prototypes to verify mechanical performance, reliability, and environmental suitability.
• Own designs through analysis, prototyping, manufacturing, assembly, and flight integration.
• Work directly with suppliers to procure manufactured parts that meet engineering specifications and quality requirements.
• Integrate mechanical systems into the spacecraft alongside electrical, optical, software, and systems engineering teams.
• Ensure material and component compatibility with spacecraft design and operational requirements.
• Support the hands-on build of both flight hardware and ground test hardware.
• Produce technical reports, test plans, analysis reports, system design documents, and interface control documents.

Experience Required:

• Experience designing, analysing, and building mechanical structures within spacecraft, space vehicle, aerospace, or another relevant high-performance engineering environment.
• Strong understanding of mechanical design principles.
• Strong experience using 3D CAD software.
• Experience taking mechanical hardware from initial design through analysis, manufacture, integration, and testing.
• Experience working directly with physical hardware and supporting hands-on engineering builds.
• Comfortable taking significant technical ownership within a small, fast-moving engineering team.
• Experience working collaboratively across multidisciplinary engineering functions.
• Spacecraft or space vehicle flight hardware development.
• Thermal control and thermal management systems.
• Payload structures and mechanical integration.
• Environmental and qualification testing of aerospace hardware.
• Supplier and manufacturing oversight.
• Experience taking hardware through flight readiness and integration.

Role Development:

• During the first six months, develop a detailed understanding of the existing spacecraft architecture, mechanical requirements, and design environment while taking ownership of structural and thermal design activity.
• During months six to twelve, drive prototyping, testing, supplier engagement, and manufacturing oversight as designs progress into flight and ground test hardware.
• Beyond the first year, take increasing ownership of the mechanical engineering capability as the organisation moves from its initial orbital demonstration towards scaled spacecraft production.

Why this opportunity:

• Design and build flight hardware from a blank sheet, with no legacy architecture limiting your engineering decisions.
• Own spacecraft structures, thermal systems, and mechanical hardware from initial requirements through flight integration.
• Join a live, funded space programme progressing towards an active orbital demonstration.
• Work directly alongside an experienced founding and technical leadership team.
• Gain significant autonomy across programmes rather than being restricted to a narrow mechanical workstream.
• Help define the mechanical engineering approach as the company moves from prototype spacecraft towards a larger operational fleet.
• Work from Florida with relocation support available.

If you would like to discuss the opportunity confidentially, please get in touch directly.